Bravo on a cool show, Tony and Zoe/Mark. I enjoyed the songs, but the humorous and informative banter between T. and Z. stole the show for me. I haven't been recording much for the past 7 years, and am a bit rusty at reviews, but I have been playing a lot lately, guitar and singing, a little bit of piano, originals and covers. Anyhow, my brief review of the show:

Dave King - Whatcha Gonna Do - a very catchy pop tune. The harmonica part sounded good, but maybe mixing up the notes just a bit each additional time you play it would be good, so they sound distinctive and live, even if you just hold one note for longer before you bend it up.

Bluster - Let it Go - Mark's band got a good, driving, steady, foot tapping beat going. He mentioned Nirvana as a joke, but I think I flashed on the sound of their song, "Dumb," and maybe something by The Kinks like, "All Day and All of the Night," and maybe something by Talking Heads, all in a good way. I can say, I knew him when we marveled and puzzled over PS-02s.

Andrew Richardson - Uhura - a very rich and rewarding sound. There's like a professional sheen that brings the whole mix together well. Perhaps it's like reverb, but all the individual tracks shine and shimmer through clearly as well.

Well, that's all for now. Don't expect any new recordings from me soon, as I only have the PS-04, and I don't think anyone wants that turned on again, it's like a relic, right? Of course, I'm rather like a relic myself, so perhaps there would be some good symmetry there. I would like Tony to hear the new bridge section I wrote for, "Broken Dreams," and I think Zoe would enjoy a new one I wrote...OK, let me see a vote, yea or nay on PS-04 recordings? :-)

Yeah! PS04 FTW! I still have my PS02 lying around here (though mostly using it as a tuner... LOL). I actually included three (updated) old songs from the PS02 on my "album" last year. I upgraded to the R8 though, and can really recommend that step.

And I remember you from those oooold times on here. Good to read from you.

Well, there I was messing about with shortwave radio. Sat in the wooden shed at the bottom of the garden. Pushing my half moon spectacles up my nose. Cradling a brandy in my shaking hands, clad in fingerless gloves. Twiddling with the old knob.

And what should emerge through the flotsam and whistling echoes that flutter over the pond? I recognise that jangly guitar introduction. By jove; it's the HMHS!

Tony, you survived! Mr Zoetrope, amongst us once more!

Dave King – “Whatcha Gonna Do”. I enjoyed the lightness of touch, the guitar was airy and the harmonica a hint of gentle summer. My only gripe is from a health and safety angle. One of the significant dangers in the aftermath of a power cut is fire from electrical items assumed to be off when in fact they are on. Can I suggest a new line?

But, safety aspects apart, a jolly good song. The mix was deceptively simple (so not really) and it worked a treat.

I think it’s HEALTHY that a few home recording buffs have come out of the closet! By which, I hastily add, I mean that they are out there playing live.

The Cracks – “Be My Friend Tonight”. Well done! I’ve listened to many of The Cracks’ tunes over the years. Hence the tissue in my hand. It is very ‘Stonesy’, circa 1974, the drums are unobtrusive and effective, the acoustic is not just plectrum on strings (I hear a chord thank God) and the synth really, really works for me. It adds emotional depth at just the right point. The hook plays out nicely and ends the song just so.

Bluster - Let it Go. ‘The Bluster Moving Blankets’… A ‘Homerecording blanket’. Good luck with that one. It’s nice to hear a Disney song done in punk style. Good tight sound, plenty of energy. Good idea about playing with a band to re-energise one’s playing. Personally I’ve stopped playing the guitar too, nor do I listen to any new music. I play in an occasional covers band, once or twice a year. Love the idea that a younger audience think you might be a semi-retired famous outfit!

With regard to murders, if you have body to dispose of just stick it in a bag, stick an address label on it and mail to yourself via DHL. You’ll never see it again.

Mixing. I never really got it. As far as I can tell in a good mix everything sounds separate and I struggled to get that. I might try and record my current band for a laugh. Trouble is we don’t rehearse properly preferring to play it off the cuff in front of the kids at school. We get away with it.

Andrew Richardson – Uhura. I enjoyed this. A good mix, with plenty of space in it. (No pun intended) I do like the puns in the song though; ‘Baby you are set to stun…’. The guitar riff is catchy enough; the bridge is apt and breaks it up nicely. Nice use of Star Trek sound effects. Have you tried pushing this on a Trekkie web site? You’ll get sales or death threats – probably both.

How great to hear HMHS back on the interwebs! I hope that it becomes a regular thing again, now that I'm at a point where I have the time to participate.

Banter was pretty good, although I thought that Dave sounded too much like Zoetrope. What??? That WAS Zoetrope? Change that to, "Zoetrope is sounding very much like himself."

To the songs:

Dave King - Whatcha Gonna Do: Lovely tune, great voice, and I love the arrangement. I'm a big fan of songs written about everyday occurrences. I also like doing minimal arrangements; just because we can have 200 tracks, doesn't mean that we need to use them all.

The Cracks - Be My Friend Tonight: Once again, the Cracks proves that he is a one of a kind singer/songwriter. Always a pleasure to hear something new from him, and I can definitely see the open mic groupies swooning for this one.

Bluster - Let it Go: I would not have guessed that this one was from Zoetrope. Where are the bleeps and bloops? I have recently found my ancient ass being interested in Punk, so I can appreciate this offering. I liked the energy, but I think it's a shame that he stole Disney's song, changed it a bit, and is foisting it on us as his own! Shame on you!

Andrew Richardson - Uhura: I am a big fan of novelty songs, and this one is a good one. I have to say that I am shocked by the subject matter, because I thought that I was the only one with a secret crush on Uhura. You might want to be careful, Andrew; she is quick to slap a restraining order on stalkers. (I should know! I still love her, though; I can't help it!)

Speaking of Home Recording Blankets, I seem to recall that the 1st Traveling Willbury's album was recorded in a shed or a garage with moving blankets as the only acoustic treatment. Of course, those guys had an award winning engineer, talented musicians, and a gazillion dollars worth of recording equipment, but otherwise, it was exactly the same setup as Zoetrope's.

Tony: If I want to submit a song, do I email the mp3, or just send a link to the file?

Let me say, once again, that I am happy to see that so many of my imaginary friends are still out there in cyberspace. I'll contribute any way I can to keep it going; just let me know.

Never been big on the HMHS with more than one host, but this was really a funny show. Glad I listened. I never knew 'Trope had such a dry sense of humor. My face hurts from smiling which is weird considering...

Dave King - Whatcha Gonna Do Was thinking it was a bit cliched chord prog until the middle 8 and that really made the song. No bass?

The Cracks - Be My Friend Tonight - This is one of the better BIAB cracked tunes, but the vocals don't seem to fit due to the amount of 'verb. Could stand a bit more low end.